Inside Media - September 11, 2006

CBS Allies With Potential Foe TiVo

CBS struck a deal on Sept. 5 to make its soon-to-premiere sitcom The Class available for TiVo subscribers to screen, up to one week before its Sept. 18 premiere. In addition, TiVo households will have access to clips and behind-the-scenes footage of three other upcoming CBS shows, including the James Woods-starring Shark, Jericho and Smith. Also last week, CBS Sportsline signed with TiVo to provide users whose TVs are connected to the Internet with access to a variety of fantasy-football-related content.



Low Auto Spending Shrinks Ad Growth

Ad spending grew a slight 4.1 percent to $73 billion for the first half of the year, according to data released Sept. 6 by TNS Media Intelligence. In the last 12 months, auto advertisers have cut spending by $1.4 billion. Overall across all media, TNSMI reported a drop in domestic auto by 13.3 percent and in foreign auto by 3.8 percent. General Motors alone cut spending by 17.4 percent. TNSMI estimates show a shift in how advertisers are allocating dollars, spending more on the Internet at the expense of newspapers and radio.



Food Net Re-Ups Star, Breaks 90 Mil. Mark

Food Network has committed to a third season of its unscripted series The Next Food Network Star, aiming for a June 2007 premiere. The net also picked up for 13 episodes of Guy's Big Bite, to run Sunday nights at 10 p.m. Moreover, Food Network announced it broke the 90 million subscriber barrier this month, having added some 3 million households since the year began. The network now reaches 90.77 million subs nationwide.



Students Offered Free Digital Magazines

This academic year, the publishing industry will launch a pilot program to supply free, one-year digital magazine subscriptions to selected college students, announced Magazine Publishers of America. Publishers will send electronic editions of their titles to the e-mail inboxes of students studying engineering, film, fashion, business and international affairs at an assortment of universities. Among the participating titles are Elle, BusinessWeek, Premiere and Foreign Policy. More than 100 consumer magazines are now available in electronic format.

MTVN Sells More Programming to iTunes

MTV Nets Kids and Family Group will offer more shows through the iTunes Music Store, including full-season buying options. In mid-September, users can buy the first season of The Wonder Pets! and Mr. Meaty, which join SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer in the virtual store. In addition, Nickelodeon is adding more TEENick programming to iTunes, including